Trapping

Regulation Hunting in Rhode Island

Species	Dates	Season Bag Limit/th>	Pelt Tagging
Mink, Muskrat, Skunk, Raccoon, Opossum, Weasel, Red Fox, Gray Fox, Rabbit	November 1 - January 31, 2019	none	no
Coyote- Private	no closed season	none	no
Coyote- State Land	November 1 - January 31, 2019	none	no
Beaver- Private*	November 1 - March 14, 2019	20	yes
Beaver- State Land*	December 1 - February 28, 2019	20	yes
Fisher*	December 1 - 24	4	yes

* Special permit required in addition to RI trapping license, which may be obtained at Fish and Wildlife's Great Swamp Field Headquarters (401) 789-0281 or email DEM.DFW@dem.ri.gov

General Regulations

No person shall set, maintain, or tend any trap without first obtaining a trapping license from the Department of Environmental Manage-ment. A resident of this state may set traps on property which they own and on which they are domiciled without obtaining a trapping license (RIGL 20-16-7).
Every holder of a trapping license will be provided with a trapping harvest report card that must be returned to the Division of Fish and Wildlife within thirty (30) days of the end of the trapping season. Fail-ure to return the card will result in denial of trapping license renewal (R IGL 20 -16 -12).
Traps may not be set, staked, or placed prior to sunrise on opening day.
All traps must have at a minimum the trapper's current RI trapping license number attached by a metal tag or embedded or cut into the trap (R IGL 20 -16 -7).
Written landowner permission is required to trap on private land (R IGL 20 -16 -9).
All traps must be checked at least once in every 24-hour period(RIGL 20 -16 -9).
There is no open season on bobcat (Lynx rufus) or river otter (Lontra canadensis).

Types of Traps Permitted

Furbearers for which there is an open season may be taken in: box (a.k.a. "cage") traps, body-grip (a.k.a. "conibear") traps, or species specific traps, with the following restrictions:

Body-grip traps

Private land: Body-grip (a.k.a. smooth wire or "conibear") type traps up to six and one half (6.5) inch jaw spread (i.e. "110, 120, 160" or equiva-lent) are permitted on land or in water on private land. Body-grip type traps greater than six and one half (6.5) inch but not exceeding eight (8) inch jaw spread ("220") may only be set if completely submerged in water or set no less than six (6) feet above the surface of the ground. Body-grip traps greater than eight (8) inch but not exceeding ten (10) inch jaw spread ("330") may only be set completely submerged in water.

State land: Body-grip traps up to six and one half (6.5) inch jaw spread are only permitted in water sets (i.e. all or a portion of the trap in water) or if placed six (6) feet above the ground. Body-grip traps with a jaw spread greater than six and one half (6.5) inches but not exceeding ten (10) inches ("220-330") may only be set if completely submerged in water.

Box traps

The use of box traps is permitted on private and state lands.

Species specific traps

The use of species specific traps is permitted on private and state land. A species specific trap is characterized by all of the following: triggering and restraining mechanisms are enclosed within a housing; trigger-ing and restraining mechanisms are only accessible through a single opening when set; access opening does not exceed 2 inches in diameter; triggering mechanism can only be activated by a pulling force; has a swivel mounted anchoring system.

Permit to trap state lands

All trappers harvesting furbearers from state management areas must obtain a special permit (no fee), issued by the Division of Fish and Wildlife, Great Swamp Field Headquarters in addition to their current RI trapping license.

Prohibitions

The use of poisons or snares (RIGL 20-16-6).
The use of steel-jawed leghold traps (RIGL 20-16-8).
No person shall disturb, tend, or possess a trap of another, or take an animal from the traps of another unless specifically authorized to do so (R IGL 20 -16 -11).
The setting of traps within ten feet of a beaver lodge or bank den or within eight feet of a muskrat lodge unless authorized by special permit.
The taking or possession of a road-killed furbearer (RIGL 20-16-1), unless with a current RI trapping license and during the open season for that species or as provided for under a current RI Scientific Collec-tors Permit (RIGL 20-1-18) or otherwise permitted by the Division.
The relocation of beaver.
The use of deadfalls, pitfalls, fish hooks, treble hooks, or other sim-ilarly sharpened instruments to catch, capture, or injure furbearers is prohibited.